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DESCRIPTION 



SPECIMEN OF ENGRAVING, 



ABORIGINAL INHABITANTS 



NORTH AMERICA. 

WITH A NOTICE OF SOME INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 

ON THE 



WEST BRANCH 



SUSftUEMANIVA RIVER 



BY WALTER R. JOHJVSOX, A, M. 

MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA, &C. &C. 



Read at a Meeting of the Society, May 1st. 1837. 
1840. 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, &c. 



Curious questions have occasionally been raised in re- 
gard to the origin of the North American tribes: and among 
the arguments employed to sustain the hypotheses, in which 
it has pleased theorists to indulge, is one drawn from the 
rude specimens of art, frequently met with throughout the 
country. 

While, however, we may admit that the forming of va- 
rious utensils, and the occasional delineation of conventional 
marks or characters, as well as the construction of lodges, 
and the fabrication of canoes, and warlike implements, im- 
plies ingenuity and tact in some individuals of even the 
rudest tribes, yet it seems probable, that all these efforts to 
supply urgent wants, are no more than might reasonably be 
expected to be found among a large number of human 
beings inhabiting, for long periods, a region whose climate, 
or other circumstances, opposed no positive obstacles to 
bodily, or mental exertion. 

But, though we may not find in the facts which bear upon 



4 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



this subject any remarkable proofs in favour of any one of 
the numerous conjectures respecting the origin of the North 
American race; still the facts, themselves, have a certain 
degree of importance, as marking the actual advances to- 
wards civilization, which may have existed among the dif- 
ferent tribes. This view has induced me to offer to the 
society, the following remarks and statements. As the Eu- 
ropean races proceed, by whatever means, in the annihila- 
tion of their predecessors, on the soil of America, the inte- 
rest attached to the condition, habits, and manners of the 
latter, must be augmented in the eyes of the humane and 
philosophic in every part of the world. Hence the obliga- 
tion of preserving all memorials respecting them. 

In the course of an exploration of several weeks' conti- 
nuance, during the spring and summer of 1836, extending 
for many miles through the region of country, watered by 
the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, and its tribu- 
taries, it occasionally fell in my way to observe objects, and 
collect facts relative to the aboriginal inhabitants of that 
section of Pennsylvania. 

In common, with many other of the Indian races, they 
were, it seems, in the habit of leaving at certain points, sig- 
nificent marks, to designate, perhaps the paths of their 
hunting parties, or to note remarkable events in the his- 
tory of their tribe. 

A sample of this kind of symbolical writing was found 
and conveyed to this city, on the occasion above mentioned. 
It is engraved, or picked on a block of gray sandstone, three 
and a half feet long, two feet wide, and one foot thick. 
This block, which on removal, was separated into two por- 
tions, had obviously at some distant period, constituted a 
part of the solid cliff, at the base of which it was found. In- 
deed, from the exact conformity of one of its edges, with a 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



5 



fractured surface on the face of the cliff itself, there can be 
no doubt, that it once occupied a station about three or four 
feet above the point where I first observed it, — and from 
the position, in which it was found, with the principal en- 
graved face turned inwards, towards the mural surface; it 
appears impossible, that the work could have been executed 
while the mass lay in that situation. It seems probable, 
that it was performed while the block constituted a kind of 
jutting table-leaf on the side of the upright wall. 

The rock strata at this point, are all nearly in a horizon- 
tal position; the character, secondary sandstone with inter- 
posed strata of shale; and above, near the surface of the 
mountain, or broad plateau, are the coal measures, and the 
accompanying series. This character of rock implies a 
degree of friability, and accounts for the frequent falls of 
rock and avalanches of earth, w T hich happen along the 
courses of all the streams. It is this character of the 
rock formation, which appears to have determined the pre- 
sent aspect of the whole region, being composed of a gene- 
ral high level of country, with deep gorges and ravines, 
sometimes exceeding, probably, a thousand feet in depth, 
gradually rising towards the sources of the streams, until 
they at length terminate in what are called draughts, or ex- 
tended natural meadows, surrounded on all sides, except that 
of the outlet, by a brim of nearly uniform acclivity and ele- 
vation, in the high level just referred to. Within these 
draughts the deer find abundant pasture, and formerly ex- 
isted in great numbers. 

These remarks may serve to give a probable solution of 
the inscription on the stone referred to. It appears to re- 
present a map of the country, in the neighbourhood of the 
place where it was found, and very probably, contains direc- 
tions respecting the haunts of the deer, the elk, &c; about 



6 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



the head waters of the Sinnemahoning, Kettle Creek, and 
other tributaries of the Susquehanna, the draughts above 
mentioned, and the high level land between them. 

The inscription is partly on the face, and partly on the 
edge of the stratum of rock on which it is placed. 

A double waving line (A, B,) on the edge of the block, 
appears like the double lines on our modern maps,to represent 
the river Susquehanna; and on both sides we find other chan- 
nels of less extent, connecting themselves with this as tribu- 
taries with their principal stream. If this supposition be cor- 
rect, it maybe conceived to embrace a region of country, from 
twelve to twenty miles in extent, including the Northeasterly 
division, between the West Branch and the Sinnemahoning; 
from the mouth of the latter, in a Northeasterly course, to a 
distance below the mouth of Kettle Creek; and in a North 
and South course from the high lands, about the heads of 
Smith's and Milligan's runs, on the one hand, to the heads 
of Kettle Creek, and of the first fork and Driftwood Branches 
of Sinnemahoning on the other. 

The figures of animals (D, E,) appear in situations cor- 
responding, as I suppose, to parts of the country, where the 
deer and elk are known to have abounded, and where even 
the latter, now so rare, are still occasionally met with about 
some of the favourite salt licks. 

The region of country, to which a reference has just been 
made, is still but little known to any except the immediate 
residents, and as the land is nearly all held in large tracts 
by non-resident proprietors, the population is extremely 
sparse. I know not of a single resident on any of the high 
plateaus of land, constituting the greater part of this region 
of country. The river bottoms are in general extremely 
narrow, and distributed only at intervals along its course. 
These together with similar portions of land along some of 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



7 



the larger tributaries, are the only parts yet improved for 
agricultural purposes. These circumstances were favour- 
able to the long continuance of the Indians in this 
quarter. 

It is only about forty, or forty-five years, since a scene of 
some interest in Indian warfare was enacted about twelve 
miles by its course above the mouth of the Sinnema- 
honing. 

A party of ten, or twelve of the savages, had committed a 
depredation and murder near the Big Island, now Dunns- 
town, and as was their practice, had immediately retired 
within the secure fastnesses of the Alleghany ridges. Fol- 
lowing the course of the West Branch, to the mouth of the 
Sinnemahoning, a distance of forty miles, they had gone up 
that Creek to the point referred to; and encamped for the night 
on a shady spot at the mouth of a tributary, to the Creek 
now called Grove's Run. But in this instance, the Indian 
had underrated the white man's daring and thirst for re- 
venge. He had placed too implicit a reliance on the wild- 
ness and remoteness of his temporary lodging place. A 
bold and wary woodsman, by the name of Grove, together 
with his brother and another companion, immediately 
equipped themselves for the pursuit, breathing vengeance 
and a determination to have blood for blood, from the foe 
who had murdered their companions at the Island. As 
Grove was acquainted with the various short cuts to the 
best hunting grounds, and apprehensive, lest, by following 
immediately in the trail of the Indians, they might encounter 
some one of their number loitering behind, or delaying in 
order to give notice of pursuit, he ascended from the 
river to the height of land below the mouth of Drury's Run, 
whence he crossed the country on the dividing ridges, and 
came upon the high peaks, East of the first fork, where ar- 



8 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



riving before night fall, he had a clear view of every thing 
which passed in the deep and rather extensive cove, which 
lay beneath. He saw the savages arrive, cross the first fork, 
and ascending to the Run already mentioned; light their fires, 
and prepare for the night's repose. Watching with breath- 
less eagerness for the favourable moment, he descended from 
his airy watch-tower, and crossing rocky ravines for the dis- 
tance of a mile and a half, came at length near the camp of 
the unsuspecting savages. The brilliant fire which they 
kept up, served to assure him of the exact position of every 
thing around. Eleven of their number lay stretched upon the 
ground; a twelfth, who had been appointed sentry for the 
night, had perched himself in the low fork of the tree, which 
overshadowed his sleeping companions. Their fire-arms 
were, according to custom, all placed together at a short 
distance from their persons. The bright flames shed on 
their swarthy forms, such a glare as to render them excel- 
lent marks for Grove and his party. The sentry was, of 
course, one of those at whom the deadly aim was directed. 
As soon as their discharge had laid three victims writhing 
at their feet; Grove and his two companions made a rush at 
the spot where the arms of the Indians were stacked, the 
whole of which they threw into a deep muddy pool near 
at hand, shouting lustily to their pretended companions to 
" come on;" which, probably, had its effect to throw the 
half awakened savages for a moment off their accustomed 
line of cunning and wary circumspection. The latter accord- 
ingly betook themselves to flight, and dashed into the dense 
forest, where pursuit was hopeless. The brother of the leader 
(Grove) was severely burned in the face, and nearly blinded 
by the priming of his neighbours musket, and this added to 
their conscious inferiority of numbers, to that of the Indians, 
hastened the retreat of the adventurers. Satisfied with this 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC, 



9 



summary vengeance, and the removal of the immediate 
means of annoyance from their enemies; they plunged at 
once into the Sinnemahoning, which, being at a low stage, 
they waded a considerable part of the way (to avoid leaving 
a trail, which could be followed by the Indians,) for twelve 
miles, leading their blinded companion the whole distance. 
When actually compelled to quit the water to avoid im- 
passable spots, they sometimes took one bank, and some- 
times the other, thus increasing the difficulties of pursuit. 
On arriving at the mouth of the Creek, instead of going 
down the Susquehanna towards the settlements, as the In- 
dians might suppose they would do, they ascended it a short 
distance, swam or waded across it, and climbing the high 
steep rocky bank on the Southeasterly side, made a halt 
in a place of concealment, whence they could watch the pro- 
gress of their pursuers. They saw the latter come out of 
the gorge at the mouth of Sinnemahoning, and after much 
careful scrutiny, apparently at fault, at length take their 
course down the river. The worst part of their own jour- 
ney was still to be accomplished. They determined on 
crossing the high broken ridges, between the head waters 
of the West Branch tributaries, and those of Beech Creek, 
which falls into the Bald Eagle. This passage which led 
over the summit of the Alleghany, and through a region, 
even at this day, probably, not surpassed in wildness and 
solitary grandeur by any thing on the American Continent; 
was at length accomplished, and the three adventurers ar- 
rived in safety at the mouth of the last mentioned Creek, 
the place of their settlement 

Grove was some years after drowned by the upsetting of 
a canoe in crossing the river at Dunnstown. But I have 
conversed with persons, who had often seen him, and heard 
him relate the particulars- of his adventure. On referring 
to the State maps, and comparing the courses of the streams 
2 



LO 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDEKTS, ETC, 



as there laid down, with that upon the stone above described, 
and with my own observations on all the streams in this 
neighbourhood, I am convinced, that the object of the 
engraving, was of the kind which I have already pointed 
out. The hollow circular portions are probably designed to 
represent the spaces already denominated drafts. The pro- 
portions in regard to distance, would not, in all probability, 
be very accurately preserved by the Aboriginal artist : but 
the general direction is sufficiently marked for the purposes 
of indicating all that an Indian hunter would have occasion 
to communicate by this mode of conveying information. 



Addendum since the foregoing paper was read to the so- 
ciety, I have had an opportunity of exhibiting the above 
described fragment of rock to a gentleman,* extensively 
acquainted with the habits and manners, of our northern and 
western tribes, particularly those inhabiting the regions 
bordering Lakes Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Lake of 
the Woods ; and have been gratified to find that his inter- 
pretation immediately given, coincided exactly with that 
above suggested. He stated that the Indians are much in 
the habit of indicating their hunting grounds, and the num- 
ber of animals taken, by devices similar to the one in ques- 
tion, and added that he had often travelled long distances, 
through the forests, with no other direction, than what was 
afforded by a map, first drawn by Indians on bark, by the aid 
of a fragment of charcoal, and that with the exception of a 
want of due proportion in the distance described, he had always 
found their delineations sufficiently accurate. He also con- 
firmed my view of the purpose of another fragment of rock, 
brought at the same time with the above, from near the 

* Douglass Houghton, M. D. Geologist of the State of Michigan. 



DESCRIPTION, INCIDENTS, ETC. 



I I 



mouth of the Tangascaotac, and which having three accu- 
rate semicylindrical grooves, half an inch in diameter, ap- 
parently hollowed out, by drawing some hard body over 
sand, longitudinally through them, had been conjectured by 
others as well as myself, to have been employed for smooth- 
ing the shafts of Indian arrows, or other objects which the 
natives desired to reduce to a uniformity of surface. 




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